Qad

What is QAD

QAD is a software company that delivers cloud-based enterprise resource planning (ERP) and supply chain solutions specifically designed for manufacturing organizations. Its product set targets discrete and process manufacturers across automotive, industrial, consumer packaged goods, electronics, medical devices, and other industry verticals. QAD positions its platform to support multi-site operations, global supply chains, and compliance needs common to regulated manufacturing sectors.

The core offering is a cloud-native ERP suite — often described as QAD Cloud ERP — that includes modules for manufacturing operations, demand planning, inventory, procurement, quality management, and financials. The platform is modular and typically bundled around manufacturing processes (make-to-order, configure-to-order, repetitive, discrete) rather than generic office-oriented workflows, which helps manufacturers apply industry-specific best practices.

QAD also provides complementary cloud solutions such as supply chain execution, supplier collaboration, analytics, and cloud hosting/managed services. These components are designed to integrate with the ERP backbone and with third-party systems through APIs and integration platforms.

QAD features

What does QAD do?

QAD delivers a set of cloud applications that manage core manufacturing, supply chain, and financial processes. Typical functional areas include:

• Production planning and scheduling to support finite capacity planning and mixed-mode manufacturing.
• Inventory management with multi-site visibility, lot and serial tracking, and warehouse operations.
• Procurement and supplier collaboration for purchase orders, supplier performance, and supplier portals.
• Quality management covering inspection plans, nonconformance handling, corrective actions, and audit trails.
• Financial management including general ledger, accounts payable/receivable, and multi-currency support.

Beyond core modules, QAD provides specialized capabilities for manufacturers: integrated demand planning and forecasting, advanced scheduling (APS), manufacturing execution features, regulatory compliance support, product traceability, and analytics. The platform supports role-based dashboards and KPIs relevant to plant managers, planners, procurement, and finance teams.

Integration and extensibility are part of the feature set: QAD exposes APIs and supports integration through middleware partners (for example, iPaaS platforms). It also offers cloud deployment options with managed services and lifecycle support (upgrades, security patches, and performance monitoring) to reduce the operational burden for customers.

QAD pricing

QAD offers flexible pricing tailored to manufacturing organizations of different sizes and complexity. Pricing for QAD is typically subscription-based for cloud deployments, and it is structured around scope (modules selected), the number of licensed users or system nodes, integration and implementation services, and optional managed services. QAD commonly provides both monthly and annual billing options and negotiates enterprise agreements for multi-site or global rollouts.

Typical commercial elements you can expect when evaluating QAD:

• Software subscription: recurring fees for access to QAD Cloud ERP modules, often quoted per user seat type or per functional module.
• Implementation and services: professional services for configuration, data migration, testing, training, and deployment; these are one-time project costs and can vary substantially based on scope.
• Hosting and managed services: if QAD hosts and manages the environment, expect separate fees for infrastructure and operational support.
• Support and maintenance: ongoing support (help desk, updates) is usually included or offered as a separate service tier.

Plan examples used by buyers: many manufacturers evaluate options that map to tiered commercial offerings such as Free Plan, Starter, Professional, and Enterprise to align functionality and support level with their needs. Implementation costs for ERP projects often range from tens of thousands of dollars for small sites to several hundred thousand or more for multi-site enterprise rollouts; scope, customization, and integration complexity are the primary drivers of total cost. Annual billing often comes with negotiated discounts—it is common for vendors to offer approximately 10–20% savings for annual commitments, though exact rates vary by contract.

Visit their official pricing page for the most current information.

How much is QAD per month

QAD offers flexible subscription pricing that varies by module and deployment scope. Monthly costs depend on the number and type of user licenses, selected modules (manufacturing, supply chain, quality, finance), and any managed hosting fees. Small single-site deployments can have much lower monthly fees than large global installations with many named users and integrations. For accurate monthly quotes and volume discounts, contact QAD sales or request a tailored proposal via their contact page.

How much is QAD per year

QAD offers annual billing options with negotiated pricing for enterprise agreements. Yearly total cost is a function of subscription fees, support, hosted environment charges, and amortized implementation/service costs. Annual contracts commonly include a discount compared with equivalent monthly billing and may bundle support or upgrade services into the yearly fee.

How much is QAD in general

QAD pricing ranges from modest per-site subscriptions for smaller manufacturers to enterprise-scale contracts for global deployments. The overall range depends on modules, integration needs, number of users, and professional services required. Buyers should budget for both subscription and implementation services; a typical procurement process includes a statement of work that outlines fixed implementation fees plus recurring subscription costs.

What is QAD used for

QAD is used to run the operational backbone of manufacturing businesses. Organizations deploy QAD to standardize and automate production planning, purchasing, inventory control, and financial processes across one or more plants. The platform is particularly useful where manufacturers require industry-specific workflows (for example, lot traceability in food and beverage or serialized tracking in medical devices) and need tight coordination across sourcing, production, and distribution.

Companies use QAD to:

• Reduce manual work by replacing spreadsheets with structured ERP workflows.
• Improve inventory accuracy and provide real-time visibility across warehouses and plants.
• Coordinate purchase-to-pay cycles and supplier interactions through supplier portals and automated PO processing.
• Support compliance and audit requirements by maintaining quality records, traceability and electronic signatures.

QAD is also used as a foundation for digital operations initiatives such as connected manufacturing (integration with MES and IoT devices), advanced planning and scheduling, and supply chain collaboration with distributors and contract manufacturers.

Pros and cons of QAD

Pros:

• Industry focus: QAD offers manufacturing-centric functionality, including production planning, shop floor control, and quality management that map to common manufacturing processes.
• Cloud delivery: the cloud-native approach reduces on-premises infrastructure needs and centralizes updates and security patching under QAD’s managed services model.
• Multi-site and multi-currency support: designed to handle global operations with multi-language, multi-site, and multi-currency capabilities.
• Complementary supply chain and supplier collaboration features that align with ERP modules.

Cons:

• Cost and complexity: as with most ERP systems, total cost of ownership includes significant implementation and integration effort, which can be substantial for complex or highly customized environments.
• Customization risk: customers with very custom processes may need additional configuration or extensions, which increases project timelines and long-term maintenance.
• Vendor fit: manufacturers with very simple needs or those primarily looking for lightweight inventory or accounting tools may find QAD’s manufacturing-focused ERP broader than required.

When evaluating QAD, organizations should weigh the benefits of industry-specific features against implementation scope, integration requirements with existing systems (MES, PLM, WMS), and the internal change management required for an ERP rollout.

QAD free trial

QAD’s commercial ERP offerings are enterprise-grade and typically do not follow a standard public free-trial model like consumer SaaS products. Instead, prospective customers usually engage with QAD through product demonstrations, sandbox environments, or pilot projects that allow hands-on evaluation of relevant modules and configurations.

For manufacturers evaluating QAD, a common approach is to request a proof-of-concept (POC) or pilot that mirrors a representative business process (for example, a plant-level workflow for order-to-manufacture) to validate fit before a full rollout. These pilots are scoped and priced as part of the sales and services engagement and may come with time-limited access to a hosted environment.

If you need a trial-style evaluation, contact QAD to request a demo, sandbox access, or a formal POC. See QAD’s product resources and demos for contact and demo request options.

Is QAD free

No, QAD is not offered as a free perpetual product. QAD is sold as a subscription-based cloud ERP platform with associated implementation services and optional managed hosting. Prospective customers can often obtain time-limited demo environments or pilot projects through QAD or implementation partners.

QAD API

QAD exposes APIs and integration endpoints intended to let customers integrate ERP data with third-party systems such as MES, PLM, WMS, CRM, or analytics platforms. The API surface typically includes RESTful endpoints for common business objects (items, orders, inventory, suppliers) and event-driven integrations for real-time updates.

Integration strategies for QAD commonly include using an enterprise integration platform (iPaaS) or middleware to handle data transformation, error handling, and secure connectivity. QAD has a partner ecosystem and reference integrations for common platforms; customers often use these pre-built connectors to accelerate integration projects.

For developers, API documentation, authentication patterns (OAuth or API keys), rate limits, and sandbox endpoints are usually provided through QAD’s developer resources or by request through customer support. For up-to-date API documentation and SDKs, consult QAD’s developer or integration resources available on their official site.

10 QAD alternatives

When evaluating QAD, manufacturers often compare ERP systems that offer manufacturing and supply chain capabilities. Below are paid and open source alternatives with short descriptions.

Paid alternatives to QAD

• SAP S/4HANA — Comprehensive ERP platform with deep manufacturing, finance, and supply chain capabilities, suited to large enterprises and complex global operations.
• Oracle NetSuite — Cloud ERP aimed at mid-market and growing enterprises, with core financials, inventory, and order management and a strong multi-subsidiary model.
• Infor CloudSuite Industrial (SyteLine) — Manufacturing-focused ERP with features for discrete and mixed-mode manufacturers and industry-specific configurations.
• Microsoft Dynamics 365 Supply Chain Management — Microsoft’s ERP module for manufacturing and supply chain, integrated with the broader Dynamics 365 and Power Platform ecosystem.
• Plex Systems — Cloud-native manufacturing ERP with emphasis on shop-floor control, traceability, and MES capabilities for medium manufacturers.
• IFS Applications — ERP with strong asset and service management capabilities, often used by industrial equipment manufacturers and service providers.
• Epicor Kinetic — ERP targeted at manufacturing companies with modular functionality for production, inventory, and planning.

Open source alternatives to QAD

• Odoo — Open-source ERP with modular apps for manufacturing, inventory, and procurement; suitable for small to medium manufacturers seeking extensibility.
• ERPNext — Community-driven ERP with manufacturing, quality, and inventory modules; designed to be configurable and lower total cost of ownership.
• Dolibarr — Lightweight open-source ERP/CRM with basic inventory and order management, appropriate for small manufacturers or service-oriented operations.
• Metasfresh — Open-source ERP focused on usability and extensibility with manufacturing and warehouse management features.

Frequently asked questions about QAD

What is QAD used for?

QAD is used for manufacturing ERP and supply chain management. Manufacturers deploy QAD to manage production planning, inventory control, procurement, quality, and financial processes across multi-site operations. It supports traceability, regulatory recordkeeping, and cross-plant coordination for discrete and process manufacturing industries.

How does QAD handle supply chain planning?

QAD includes demand planning and supplier collaboration features. The platform supports forecasting, safety stock rules, multi-echelon planning scenarios, and supplier portals to coordinate orders and deliveries. Integration with external planning tools and APS systems is common for advanced planning requirements.

Does QAD integrate with MES and shop-floor systems?

Yes, QAD is typically integrated with MES and shop-floor systems. Integration is achieved through APIs or middleware so that production orders, work confirmations, and shop-floor transactions flow between systems for accurate production tracking and performance measurement.

Can QAD support global multi-site manufacturing?

Yes, QAD supports multi-site and multi-currency operations. Its architecture accommodates multiple plants, warehouses, and currencies, and provides tools for centralized master data management and decentralized operational control when needed.

Is there a free version of QAD?

No, QAD is a commercial cloud ERP and is not offered as a free, unlimited product. Prospective customers can request demos, sandbox environments, or pilot projects to evaluate the platform before purchase.

How do I get support for QAD?

QAD provides support through subscription support plans and professional services. Support options typically include technical support, application support, and managed services; enterprise customers often receive dedicated account management and escalation paths.

Does QAD offer an API for integrations?

Yes, QAD exposes APIs for integration with third-party systems. Documentation and access are provided to customers and partners; many customers use iPaaS solutions or partner connectors to implement robust integrations.

Why choose QAD over generic ERP systems?

QAD is focused on manufacturing-specific processes. Its functionality is organized around manufacturing workflows, traceability, and quality requirements common to discrete and process manufacturers, which can reduce the need for heavy customization compared with generic ERP packages.

When should a company evaluate QAD?

Companies should evaluate QAD when they require manufacturing-led ERP with multi-site capabilities. Typical triggers include outgrowing legacy systems, needing better traceability and quality controls, pursuing global expansion, or consolidating multiple plants on a unified cloud platform.

Where can I find customer case studies for QAD?

QAD publishes customer success stories and case studies on its website. These case studies illustrate implementation approaches, measured outcomes (for example improved OEE, reduced stock shortages, or shortened rollout times), and industry-specific deployments. See QAD’s customer stories and resources for examples and contact information.

QAD careers

QAD maintains a corporate careers site with listings for technical, product, sales, and professional services roles; many positions focus on cloud engineering, manufacturing domain expertise, and customer implementation services. Job postings typically include location, remote/onsite expectations, required technical skills, and experience with ERP or manufacturing systems. For current openings and recruitment details, check QAD’s careers information on their corporate site.

QAD affiliate

QAD works with a partner and reseller ecosystem rather than a typical affiliate marketing program. Partners include systems integrators, implementation consultancies, and software vendors that provide complementary modules or integration services. If you are interested in partnership or referral opportunities, review QAD’s partner program documentation and partner contact channels on QAD’s website.

Where to find QAD reviews

You can find user reviews and ratings for QAD on industry review platforms and technology marketplaces that focus on ERP and manufacturing software. Look for reviews on sites that categorize ERP vendors by manufacturing suitability, customer size, and industry, and read case studies on QAD’s site for vendor-provided examples. For independent user feedback, consult analyst reports and third-party review sites that cover manufacturing ERPs.